1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus having a mechanism for absorbing a load applied thereon by external shocks, particularly suitable for on-vehicle equipments.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to protect occupants sitting in a driver's seat and in a passenger's seat of a vehicle in the event of a car crash, standards are provided for various meters and audio devices built in the front instrument panel of a car compartment so that a protrusion such as operating knobs does not damage their human bodies upon the crash.
For example, the standard of Europe (EEC standard) provides that the maximum amount of projection (height) from a panel plane shall be controlled at 9.5 mm or less when a static load of 37.8 daN is applied onto the protrusion such as operating knobs.
For example, JP-A-2001-266704 discloses, as an electronic apparatus aimed at assuring the safety of the above-mentioned occupants, an electronic apparatus such that a load can be absorbed by breaking the operating knob itself because of the load to be applied thereon by a shock on a car crash, thereby reducing the aforementioned amount of projection.
Since the conventional electronic apparatus is constructed as mentioned above, there is a limit to the load absorption of the shock based on the breakage of the operating knob itself, and therefor the amount of projection may not be suppressed.
In this case, in order to meet the EEC standard, the shape of the knob is obliged to be changed (for example, the height thereof is lowered). Consequently, there is the problem that some constraints are added to the design of the knob and the like.